Dauphproto said:

While on that subject, my pickup has no back door just the tailboard, where is the wiring hiding for washers, wiper and heated screen??? There are a couple of plugs on the harness where it crosses the rear cross member. What are these? Oh and is the Genuine 300 TDI manual worth the money. I find Haynes manuals a waste of time since the late 80's

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The wiring should all be in the drivers side corner behind the ali light panel. There are two plugs one for heated screen and one for wiper motor. i don't have a picture to hand but if you upload a picture of the rear loom behind that panel it should be fairly obvious which ones are which. Also I am not sure one the plugs on the rear cross member again may need a picture to identify. when I was rebuilding mine I found LRWorkshop to be invaluable for identifying wiring colours and connectors (LINK)

On manuals I would suggest the genuine manual is possible worth having but I wouldn't spend much money on it. I use my parts manual all the time but find google and a reputable forum like this (plenty of unreputable ones) is easier and better than the manual. I have one for mine on the shelf that is rarely used whereas the internet and on here is my go to for nearly everything.

Dauphproto said:

I had been looking at them for a door and a Bulkhead.
Just to check I'll need a door, hinges, a latch & keeper. Oh and a seal .
Anything else?????

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Door card ... I like the one from Mud.

Dauphproto said:

<snip> is the Genuine 300 TDI manual worth the money. I find Haynes manuals a waste of time since the late 80's

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dag019 said:

On manuals I would suggest the genuine manual is possible worth having but I wouldn't spend much money on it. I use my parts manual all the time but find google and a reputable forum like this (plenty of unreputable ones) is easier and better than the manual. I have one for mine on the shelf that is rarely used whereas the internet and on here is my go to for nearly everything.

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Yes, I second that, if you get really stuck you can RTFM, but there are some good knowledgeable folk on here.

miktdish said:

Door card ... I like the one from Mud.

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Your choice of door card depends on what you expect to be using the vehicle for. The genuine one is terrible and is basically a piece of cardboard, I also like the look of the MUD one but I have a price of black chequer plate as my door card because I regularly have large heavy things in the back of it and didn't want to risk damaging a plastic one.

I hadn't thought about the inside of the door. Was trying to get it fitted wind and watertight. Would be nice to have an alloy outer skin from an originality point of view, but the completely Galv frame and plated galv skin will be stronger and less prone to corrosion, so is looking like a winner. Do you just put the door in the hole and drill the middle and lower hinge holes, are there reinforcing plates to fit???

Dauphproto said:

I hadn't thought about the inside of the door. Was trying to get it fitted wind and watertight. Would be nice to have an alloy outer skin from an originality point of view, but the completely Galv frame and plated galv skin will be stronger and less prone to corrosion, so is looking like a winner. Do you just put the door in the hole and drill the middle and lower hinge holes, are there reinforcing plates to fit???

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I am in the same position. I would ideally want a galv frame with alloy skin. But all galv is looking like the front runner for me as well.
What do you mean about drilling holes? Which holes do you not have?

dag019 said:

I am in the same position. I would ideally want a galv frame with alloy skin. But all galv is looking like the front runner for me as well.
What do you mean about drilling holes? Which holes do you not have?

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As it's a pickup with a tailboard there are no middle or lower hinge holes in the tub rear. Do the Bolts holding theTailboard hinge keeper fit the bottom hinge for the middle hinge there is a reinforcing plate, but mine has 1 big hole with an anti-luce pin in it which will need removing.
Common sense tells me that if i get the top and bottom fitted and working then the middle will sort itself out an obviously I can make spreader plates for inside the rear tub if I need to. This is my First Landy pick up to hard top conversion, so once it's done I'll know how to do it .................properly....maybe.

Dauphproto said:

As it's a pickup with a tailboard there are no middle or lower hinge holes in the tub rear. Do the Bolts holding theTailboard hinge keeper fit the bottom hinge for the middle hinge there is a reinforcing plate, but mine has 1 big hole with an anti-luce pin in it which will need removing.
Common sense tells me that if i get the top and bottom fitted and working then the middle will sort itself out an obviously I can make spreader plates for inside the rear tub if I need to. This is my First Landy pick up to hard top conversion, so once it's done I'll know how to do it .................properly....maybe.

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when I went the other way on my series to fit a soft top, removing the door and fitting a tailgate I replaced the whole triangular capping piece as this is just riveted on. If you can get hold of one of those that already has the holes drilled into it is might be worth swapping over. As then you have two hinges lined up correctly and attached so the bottom one will be easy to drill in The correct place.

Well I did manage to repeat the feat and the second side got painted



All was fine I left it out until dusk and put it in the shed overnight, as the next day was sunny I put it back outside to get another heat. What happened I have no idea, but it managed to fall off the decked area and land on the top edge on the slab path 2 feet below. This has not done the top edge too many favours, but luckily the roof seal strip covers all the worst of the damage, other than some scratches in the face of the panel. You couldn't write it.....

As well as that I have it booked in to the welders to get the rear shock brackets replaced, as the originals are paper thin where the backplate bolts to the bracket. As the Welder and I were checking the shape of the new brackets against the axle, he pointed out that the rear lower spring pans were looking a bit dodgy. I said the replacements were available, so he suggested getting them and doing it all at once, which seemed like a good idea, so I told him I would get the new parts fitted, so he would not have to deal with rusted up bolts, but be able to strip it and weld it up no worries.
The parts arrived and set to removing the new backplates I had fitted to improve the access to the shock brackets and had a look at the spring pans. I disconnected the shocks and jacked it up on the axle, then put the chassis on stands and lowered the jack. The rear springs obligingly lowered out of the top chassis mountings and I was looking at the blobs that were the lower keeper bolts, wondering about the best plan of attack. Having the new bits on hand revealed that I really could not see the saddle that is welded to the axle, so I gave the lower part of the spring a healthy dose of the size 10 and was rewarded with the whole spring and lower pan falling to the ground. This was repeated on the other side too.
A heavy application of the chipping hammer removed the lower keeper and spring pan without having to undo anything
Thus:



That was what was left apart from a big pile of Brown crumble on the floor. Easy enough to clean up with the grinder and refit the new parts using gravity to hold it all together. Once it was all reassembled it ain't going anywhere and will be an easy weld up, but it was a bit of a surprise and prompted a check all over the axle with the pick hammer, looks like years of mud and wet had done for them completely. the NS anti -roll bar bracket is not clever the o/s is ok???

Today Mon. The Landy is at the Welders Getting it's brackets replaced, my Mate came round with Spraygun, we surveyed the clouds and decided to go for it, so the roof is finished.



Not bad for a Country Job..




Busy time ahead. paint the back axle when it comes back, refit the backplates. Remove the Dog hutch paint the cappings and we are ready to convert, new rear door should be about 10 days away, so there's the timeframe.
In other news, I have managed to get some temporary workshop space for Aug/Sept, so need to get a Bulkhead ordered. Then I'll be really sorry...